Mohammed Jahanbakht

TNQ Hatch 2022-23

1 Nov 2022

About

Mohammed entered into the Hatch program with an extensive research background, currently working as a research officer in TropWATER. In addition to his career involvement within academia and research, Mohammed also had speciality skills in electronic design, software engineering, and machine learning (AI). Given his background with TropWATER, Mohammed had a strong understanding of challenges associated with food and crop production in the TNQ region, and sought to apply his deep technology skills in solving critical problems in agriculture. Mohammed had spent many months developing the theoretical components of his idea and discussing the practicalities with colleagues, before joining the Hatch program to solidify the development of the concept.

The Idea

Mohammed sought to develop an integrated aquaponics and hydroponics production system which utilised AI and IOT-based intelligence to create a near automated facility. The concept was developed on the basis that typical hydroponic systems in Australia did not utilise the benefits of artificial intelligence or smart technologies to improve production. Mohammed had considered the involvement of drones within the controlled system to report critical requirements back to automated irrigation and feed systems within the unit. Mohammed believed the benefits of his idea for the TNQ region included that:

- The system would be automatic, requiring less human intervention reducing labor challenges;

- The use of precision technologies and artificial intelligence would allow for a reduction in the amount of water, fertilizer and herbicide used in the crop, allowing it to be more drought resilient; and

- The system would be protected from weather and climate variability as it would be a near-closed ecosystem with controlled ambience.

A program to go, if you have a new idea, and you do not know how to evaluate it

What's Next?

Mohammed has been connected with a wide range of producer and grower groups who fit within his customer segments, and is continuing to engage in the customer discovery process. In addition, Mohammed is looking for strategic partnership opportunities in order to test the capability of his concept and develop use cases for potential engagement and investment opportunities.